"Of course," Rowan replied simply, his voice a warm, steady rumble. "You can start preparing for departure. We leave very early in the morning, long before the sun rises."
Delaney nodded. A massive wave of relief washed over her. She let out a small breath she had not realized she was holding.
They stood together in the quiet courtyard. The serious, heavy weight of the upcoming journey settled between them, but it was a shared weight now.
Delaney turned her head slightly. She looked past his broad shoulders, gazing at the long row of open stable doors. The Hamilton stables were a magnificent sight, built of clean gray stone and filled with so of the finest, most expensive horses in all of England. The rich, earthy sll of clean hay, polished leather saddles, and warm oats filled the morning air.
Rowan followed her eyes. He watched the way her gaze lingered on the beautiful animals resting in their stalls. He noticed the soft, curious expression on her face.
The heavy burden of Lord Farrington’s blackmail faded to the back of his mind for just a brief mont. He wanted to see her smile.
"Would you love to join ?" Rowan asked softly, tilting his head to catch her eye.
Delaney blinked, pulling her attention away from the stables. She looked up at him, her brow furrowing in pure confusion. She smoothed her plain dark brown wool dress with her hand.
"Join you for what?" Delaney asked.
Rowan did not answer with words. He simply offered her a highly mischievous, incredibly wicked grin that belonged more to a young rogue than a serious Duke.
He turned his head and signaled a young stable hand who was sweeping the nearby cobblestones. Rowan raised his hand and gestured toward the third stall on the right.
The stable hand imdiately dropped his broom, bowed quickly, and hurried into the dark stall.
A mont later, the boy erged, leading a truly beautiful horse by a leather halter. It was a tall, elegant mare with a coat the color of rich, dark chestnuts. The horse walked with a graceful, even step, her dark eyes looking around the courtyard with calm intelligence.
As the mare walked forward, Rowan stepped up to her. He reached out his large, bare hand and patted her dark, silky mane with deep affection.
"Hello, g," Rowan murmured softly. His voice was incredibly gentle, a stark contrast to the fierce tone he used in his study.
He reached out and took the leather reins from the young stable boy, dismissing the lad with a quick nod.
Delaney stood perfectly still. She watched Rowan interact with the massive animal. There was a quiet, steady kindness in the way he touched the horse, a gentleness that made Delaney’s heart flutter completely out of rhythm.
g, the chestnut mare, snorted softly. She shifted her large, velvet muzzle towards Delaney’s direction. The horse took a step forward, her dark, round eyes fixing curiously on the woman standing in the courtyard.
Rowan smiled at the horse’s reaction. He turned his head and spoke to Delaney.
"She wants you to pet her," Rowan encouraged gently. "g is a very excellent judge of character. She knows exactly who to trust."
Delaney hesitated. She looked at Rowan’s encouraging brown eyes, then down at g’s large, waiting muzzle. She had lived in the crowded city of London for years; she rarely had the chance to touch such magnificent, well-cared-for animals.
Slowly, Delaney raised her hand. She reached out with trembling fingers and gently caressed g’s muzzle.
The horse’s skin was incredibly soft, like warm velvet. g let out a low, happy breath, blowing warm air over Delaney’s knuckles, and leaned her heavy head directly into Delaney’s palm.
Delaney let out a soft, delighted laugh. Her hazel eyes lit up with pure joy as she stroked the mare’s cheek.
Rowan watched her laugh, and he felt his own chest tighten with absolute devotion. He signaled the stable hand once more.
"Saddle her, please," Rowan instructed.
The stable hand quickly returned carrying a heavy leather saddle and a thick woolen blanket. He threw the blanket over g’s broad back and began strapping the saddle securely into place. He pulled the leather girth tight, buckling it beneath the mare’s belly.
Delaney stepped back slightly to give the boy room to work. She watched the process, assuming Rowan was simply preparing to take a morning ride around the estate to clear his head before their journey the next day.
After everything had been prepared, the stable hand bowed and hurried away.
Rowan stepped up to the side of the horse. With effortless grace, he placed his polished boot into the iron stirrup and swung his large body up into the leather saddle. He sat tall and broad-shouldered, looking exactly like a conquering king surveying his lands.
He gathered the leather reins in his left hand. Then, he leaned down over the side of the saddle.
Rowan stretched his large, open right hand down to Delaney.
"Will you join ?" Rowan asked. His voice was low, teasing, and entirely scandalous.
Delaney stared at his waiting hand. Her eyes went completely wide with absolute shock. She quickly looked around the open courtyard, terrified that one of the gardeners or maids might be watching them.
"No, no," Delaney gasped, her face flushing a deep, brilliant shade of red. She quickly waved her hands in the air, stepping backward. "How could I possibly... I am wearing a day dress! I do not have a riding habit on. And you only have one saddle. It is highly improper for us to ride together like that!"
She was absolutely right. For an unmarried man and woman to ride on the very sa horse, pressed tightly together, was a severe breach of polite society rules. It was the sort of behavior that caused massive scandals.
But Rowan had decided the night before that he was entirely finished caring about the rules of polite society.
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